The Polk County Library Cooperative (PCLC) was formed October 1, 1997 through an Interlocal Agreement between the 13 municipalities in Polk County with Public Libraries, and the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. The PCLC enables the city-owned and operated public libraries to open their doors and provide materials and services to all residents of the the county, including those in the unincorporated area. Through the PCLC, one library card is good at all member libraries and materials from one library can be requested and checked out at another library, or even mailed to a patron at home. The PCLC has reciprocal borrowing agreements with Osceola County and with participating libraries in the Tampa Bay Library Consortium, including Highlands, Hardee, and Hillsborough counties.
The PCLC supports the services provided by the member libraries and provides five day a week delivery service between member libraries, operates the library automation system (online catalog and check-out) for all the member libraries, markets activities for member libraries, and manages the e-rate program for member libraries. The PCLC contracts with the Lake Wales Public Library to provide the Books by Mail and Bookmobile services. PCLC also provides staff training and membership to the Tampa Bay Library Consortium for member libraries.
The PCLC also provides two vending machines at the Outpost 27 Visitor's center, and offers outreach programming to the unincorporated areas of the county.
As a Cooperative system, the PCLC has a Librarians Advisory Council, comprised of all the member library directors; and a Governing Board, with a voting member from each of the 13 muncipalities who signed the Interlocal Agreement, and the county. The Advisory Council makes recommendations to the Governing Board. The Governing Board sets policy, allocates the budget, and directs the actions of the PCLC staff. The PCLC does not oversee or supervise the member municipal libraries, who are overseen and supervised directly by their city. The PCLC does not have any direct staff, but instead contracts with member cities for Cooperative staff. Currently the PCLC contracts with the City of Bartow for five full time positions: Cooperative Coordinator, Outreach Services Librarian, Cooperative Library Assistant, Cooperative IT Specialist I and Cooperative IT Specialist II. The PCLC contracts with the City of Eagle Lake for two full time positions: Delivery Driver Supervisor and Delivery Driver. A third part-time, as-needed position is also contracted through the City of Eagle Lake for Reserve Delivery Driver.
Cooperative Staff:
Coordinator, Gladys Roberts, gladys.roberts@mypclc.info
Outreach Services Librarian, Jennifer Kovac, j.kovac@mypclc.info
Cooperative Library Assistant, Nancy Rodriguez, nancy.r@mypclc.info
Library IT Specialist II, Rhonda Hawley, rhonda.hawley@mypclc.info
Library IT Specialist I, Dominic Filice
Delivery Driver Supervisor, Sam McCleod
Delivery Driver, Gary Piper